Music-rack



(No Model.)

W. T. BoLee-ef e MUSIC RACK. No. 567,072. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

In: wum. szrzns co. mo'raumo. WASHINGTON n UNITED STATES PATENT EE cE.

WILLIAM THOMAS BOLGER, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT.

MUSIC-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,072, dated September 1, 1896. Application filed April 9,18%. l Serial No. 586,868. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM THOMAS BoL- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rutland, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Music-Rack, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in music holders or racks for the use of musi-' cians, such as piccolo, flute, and fife players, upon the march, without interfering with the freedom of movement of either of the hands.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rack or holder embodying my invention, the same being shown applied in operative position. Fig. 2 is a side view, partly broken away, of the same with the rest-plate depressed or in its inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the free end of the retaining-arm and contiguous parts. Fig. 4 is a similar view of means for securing the retaining-arm to the rest-plate stem.

1 designates a neck or supportingloop, preferably constructed of wire with the extremities of the blank upturned and engaged with a block 2, in which is formed a threaded socket for the extremity of the standard 4. This standard is provided with a downturned or hooked portion 5 and terminates in a forwardly-extending arm 6, which combines with a rearwardly-bent lower extremity of the restplate stem 7 to form a curved arm-rest. The rest-plate stem 7 is sectional in construction, with its lower member 7 hinged, as at S, to the front extremity of the supporting-arm 6, the hinge being of stop construction, with a shoulder 9 to limit the upward-swinging movement of the rest-plate stem. The other or main portion 7" of the rest-plate stem car ries the rest-plate 10, which is struck from a single blank of sheet-steel or similar metal, with lower prongs or rests 11 and upper downwardly-turned spring-fingers 12, which are adapted to engage and secure the music or book from displacement when the rest plate is in either its elevated or operative position (shown in Fig. 1) or in its depressed or inoperative position. (Shownin Fig. 2.) Said construction of rest-plate also facilitates the engagement therewith of the book, inasmuch as the upper edge of the latter is pushed upwardly between the spring-fingers and the body of the plate until snfficiently elevated to allow the lower edge to pass over the extremities of the rests. The rearward tendency of the spring-fingers prevents the displacement of the lower edge of the book from said rests.

Attached to the stem 7 of the rest-plate by means of a clip 13 is one end of a retainingarm 14, consisting of a strip of spring-steel provided at its extremity or free end with a lateral tongue or projection 15 to engage the hook or downturned portion 5 of the standard. Said free end of the retaining-arm is also provided with a finger-hold 16, adapted to be grasped by the operator in order to move the rest-plate from its depressed or inoperative position to the position shown in Fig.1.

\Vhen the rest-plate 10 is in the depressed position and it is desired to bring it into the operative position, (shown in Fig. 1,) the left forearm of the player is placed upon the rest formed by the contiguous jointed portions of the supporting-arm and rest-plate stem, and with the right hand the finger-hold is grasped and the retaining-arm carried over said left forearm until the lateral projection or tongue is engaged with the hooked portion 5 of the standard.

As above described, the connection between the standard and the block at the front end of the neck-loop consists of a threaded extremity of the standard fitted in a threaded socket in the block, whereby the standard is swiveled upon the neck-loop and is adapted to be turned to adjust the rest-plate in any desired position. Further freedom of adj ustment is provided by forming a similar swiveled connection between the sections or members of the rest-plate stem, the section 7 being threaded in a socket in the extremity of thesection 7 A further advantage of this construction resides in the fact that the parts of the rack or holder may be disconnected when not, in use for arrangement in compact form for transportation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a music rack or holder, the combination with a neck-loop, of a rest-plate, and means supported by the neck-loop for clasping the forearm of the player, substantially as specified.

2. In a music rack or holder, the combination with a neck-loop, of a supporting-arm and a rest-plate stem hinged together and having their contiguous portions curved to form an arm-rest, and means for securing the stem in its normal or operative position, substantially as specified.

3. In a music rack or holder, the combination with a neck-loop, of a supporting-arm and a rest-plate stem hinged together and curved to form an arm-rest, and a flexible retaming-arm carried by the rest-plate stem and adapted to be extended over the forearm of the player to engage the supporting-arm, substantially as specified.

4:. In a music rack or holder, the combinati on with a neck-loop, of a standard connected by a swive1-j oint with the neek-loop and provided at its upper extremity with a hook and forwardly-extending supporting-arm, a restplate stem hinged to the supporting-arm, and a retaining-arm secured to said stem and provided with a lateral tongue to engage said hook, substantially as specified.

5. In a music rack or holder, the combination with a neck-loop, of a swiveled standard extended to form a supporting-arm, a restplate stem hinged to the supporting-arm and comprising stem sections connected by a swivel-j oint, and a retaining-arm attached to the rest-plate stem and provided at its free end with a lateral tongue and a finger-hold, the former being adapted to engage a hook on the standard, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM THOMAS BOLGER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH WEBs'rER, IRA CANFIELD. 

